A report published jointly by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Department for Work and Pensions and the Government Equalities Office has identified that young people, those living in deprived areas and men have suffered the biggest rises in unemployment in the recession so far.

The report examines the state of the economy in the first quarter of 2009 and looks at the impact of the recession across groups by age, gender, race and disability.

The key findings include:

• 16% of young people (or one-in-six) aged 18-24 year olds are currently unemployed, compared to 12 per cent the same for the same period last year.
• Unemployment rates in deprived areas have risen to 11.3% from 8.7% for 2008. This is a larger rise than for those living in more affluent areas.
• The number of men in work is at the lowest level for a decade, having fallen by 1.7% since last year to 77% overall. The unemployment rate for men has risen by 2.4% to 8.1% in the year to March 2009.
• As women now make up a greater proportion of the workforce, they are no longer as sheltered from the impact of recession

More positively, the report finds that employment rates among ethnic minorities, disabled people and older people have remained relatively stable. It also finds that employment rates for lone parents have actually increased, perhaps indicative of successful support services in place.

Trevor Phillips, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission said:

“The outcomes of previous recessions tell us that we must act now to ensure that the impact of this downturn on some groups does not inhibit our ability to grab the opportunities of recovery when they come. The attention at the outset may have been focused on the revolving doors of the nation’s investment banks, but it is once again groups from across society that are being hit hardest by the recession.

What the data in this report tells us is that, at this stage of the recession, young people, men and those in deprived areas are suffering the greatest impact. We must remember, though, that this report is just a snapshot and that the effects of the downturn could easily spread. The challenge will be not simply to see people through the harsh effects of unemployment, but to endow everyone with the right skills to survive on the other side. The labour market of the 21st century is more diverse, more global and - most importantly - more competitive. The UK needs to prepare urgently to meet those challenges.”

The report is available at:
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/monitoring-impact-recession-demographic-groups.pdf